Expectations of Privacy in Voice Interaction – A Look at Voice Controlled Bank Transactions

Abstract: There is a strong mainstream interest in the tech world for voice interaction, in parts thanks to the technological advancements in the field and the use of big data which in some cases make speech recognition on par with humans. The aim of this paper is to explore the relationship between voice interaction and privacy. Two prototypes on voice interaction of bank services were created, they had differences in feedback, correctness and need of physical interaction. Twelve participants were instructed to perform tasks like checking balance and transferring money with the prototypes. Then they were asked about their relation to privacy in the context of their previous experiences with voice interaction and the two prototypes they used. The results show that what was perceived as private and the need for privacy varied a lot between the participants. In the end a respectful and empowering design to voice interaction is proposed in which the user could customize how the application provides feedback by adding contextual sensitivity e.g. using GPS to know if you are home, or a camera to know if you are looking at the device.